Silver cleaning pad



Jan. 25, 1966 e. L. MAYER SILVER CLEANING PAD Filed May 26, 1964 s m H TE N m R V 0 W L .4 A D. R E G United States Patent O SILVER CLEANING PAD Gerda L. Mayer, P.O. Box 205, Malibu, Calif. Filed May 26, 1964, Ser. No. 370,235 8 Claims. (Cl. 15506) This invention generally relates to a pad for cleaning various household silver articles including silver tableware and silver eating utensils. The invention is primarily.

directed towards the cleaning of silver forks which are difficult to clean because of the prongs or tines which extend therefrom and about and between which it is difficult to insert a cleaning cloth. Also, the silver cleaning pad of the present invention embodies surfaces and portions adaptable for advantageous cleaning of spoons and similarly arcuately contoured silver articles.

Various types of conventional silver cleaning materials are available on the market. Some of these require a force to be exerted in order to remove the dull finish, while others embody ingredients and compounds creating a chemical reaction to effectively polish the corrosive finish on the particular silver item. The present invention is primarily directed towards an improvement in an apparatus for applying that particular type of polish which is used manually with a cloth or pad.

It will be appreciated that it is extremely difficult to insert a cloth or pad between the tines of a fork and do an effective cleaning job on the inner edges of the prongs or tines.

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved silver cleaning pad which not only may be used for cleaning usual silver flatware and silver eating utensils, but which embodies surfaces and portions thereof particularly adaptable for the cleaning of silver forks and spoons.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a silver cleaning pad which serves several functions advantageously in the cleaning of various silver articles, and yet which may be inexpensively manufactured on a production line basis.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a silver cleaning pad which is extremely easy to use and manipulate and which greatly facilitates the cleaning of silver forks and spoons.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a silver cleaning pad which is adaptable to the cleaning of several different sizes and shapes of forks.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are generally achieved by providing a pad for cleaning silver articles which comprises a generally flat piece of felt material defining a top surface and a bottom surface and encircling integral sidewalls interconnecting the top surface and bottom surface. A plurality of aligned apertures extend at least partially from one of the surfaces of the other of said surfaces. The apertures are spaced apart to receive the tines of a particular silver fork, such as a salad fork, dessert fork, or the like.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pad also includes a plurality of spaced grooves formed along one of the sidewalls which also may be used for cleaning of the same or a different fork, according to the spacing of the grooves. Also, in a preferred form of the invention, it is desirable to impregnate the pad in the areas adjacent the apertures and grooves with a silver polish, which may be formed of conventional silver cleaning chemicals.

A better understanding of the present invention will be had by reference to the drawings showing merely an illustrative embodiment, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a silver cleaning pad according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a somewhat enlarged view of a corner section of the silver cleaning pad of FIGURE 1 illustrating a silver fork in position for the cleaning thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a view of another corner section of the pad of FIGURE 1 illustrating a spoon about to be placed in position for the cleaning of the spoon portion thereof; and,

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows 44 of the silver cleaning pad of FIGURE 1, also illustrating a fork in position for the cleaning of the tines thereof.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIGURE 1 a silver cleaning pad, generally designatedby the numeral 10, and including a top surface 11, and a bottom surface 12. The pad 10 is provided with radiused corner sections 13, 14, 15 and 16. The pad 10 is encircled by sidewalls 17 which interconnect the top surface 11 and bottom surface 12, as well as the radiused corner sections 13, 14, 15 and 16.

In accordance with a feature of the present invention, a first plurality of grooves 18 are provided in the sidewalls 17 along one portion thereof. The grooves 18 may be shaped, respectively, to fit a half-section of a prong or tine of a conventional silver fork, e.g., a dinner fork, salad fork, or dessert fork. Other sets of similar grooves could be provided in other portions of the sidewalls 17 for forks having different sized prongs and spacings, for example, as indicated at 18 and 18". If desired, another plurality of grooves 19 might be provided in another portion of the sidewalls 17, for example, with only three such grooves being provided to accommodate prongs of a fork designed to mate therewith. It will thus be appreciated that the spacing and number of the grooves as provided in the sidewalls 17 may be varied to meet the requirements of most silver forks. Of course, these grooves will also be shaped according to the actual shape of the prongs or tines as such.

In addition, it is desirable to provide a series of apertures or openings 20, which preferably extend throughout the thickness of the pad from the top surface 11 to the bottom surface 12. Of course, if the pad is sufficiently thick, it is not necessary that these openings extend the entire thickness. On the other hand, it is envisioned that the silver cleaning pad, in an illustrative embodiment, would be approximately inch thick, and therefore it would be desirable to have the openings 20, which are designed to mate with the prongs of a given silver fork, extend throughout the entire thickness of the pad.

A similar group of openings 21 may be also provided and if desired, a third set of openings 22. Each of these different sets of openings 20, 21, and 22, are designed to accommodate and mate with the prongs of a different style or size silver fork. Of course, the optimum spacing and size of the series of holes 20, 21 and 22 will depend upon the particular silver forks to be accommodated.

The use of the invention is clearly illustrated in FIG- URE 2 wherein there is shown a silver fork 23 having tines or prongs 24 which are designed to be received into the grooves 18 in the sidewalls 17 of the pad 10. By merely exerting a reciprocating movement to the fork 23, it will be appreciated that half sections of the tines 24 will be immediately cleaned and polished. Towards this end, it is desirable that a silver polish 25 be impregnated around the groove portions 18 of the pad 10. Such silver polish 25 would also be impregnated about the other grooves 18 and 18" as well as the various openings 20, 21 and 22. (However, in certain instances, the polish may be applied separately.)

After One side of the fork prongs 24 have been cleaned, the fork would be turned about and the other side portions of the prongs 24 would be cleaned so that the entire surfaces of the prongs would be cleaned by the felt grooves 18.

It will also be seen from the view of FIGURE 3 that the radiused corner sections 13, 14, 15 and 16 may be shaped for cleaning of spoons 26. Thus, the corner sections 13, 14, 15 and 16 may be radiused to conform with the bowl portion 27 of the spoon 26 so that the section 27 may be pressed up against and swiveled about the corner section 15 to clean the inner portion thereof.

Of course, the various corner sections 13, 14, 15 and 16 may be shaped somewhat differently to accommodate different spoons, for example, teaspoons, soup spoons, and the like, or other silver articles having curved shapes.

FIGURE 4 merely illustrates the use of the pad in the cleaning of a fork 23 inserted into the holes 21 mating with the tines thereof. Of course, in order to accommodate the widest range of forks, normally the holes 21 would be shaped and spaced somewhat differently than the grooves 18. The use of the same fork 23 in the drawings is merely for illustrative purposes.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides an improved silver cleaning pad uniquely adapted for the cleaning of silver forks and other silver items. It will of course be appreciated that the pad may be modified in many respects, e.g., changing the shape thereof to a circular form, a triangular form, or the like, without departing from the invention. Such changes and modifications are deemed to fall within the scope of the present inventioin as set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A pad for cleaning household silver articles comprising: a generally flat piece of felt material defining a top surface, a bottom surface and sidewalls encircling said piece of felt material between said top surface and bottom surface; said flat piece of felt material defining a plurality of aligned apertures extending at least partially from one of said surfaces to the other of said surfaces and a plurality of spaced grooves formed in one of said sidewalls, s'aid apertures and grooves being spaced and formed to mate with the prongs of a silver fork; and other portions of said piece of felt material being designed for cleaning other silver articles.

2. A pad for cleaning household silver articles comprising: a generally flat piece of felt material defining a top surface, a bottom surface and sidewalls encircling said piece of felt material between said top surface and bottom surface; said fiat piece of felt material defining a plurality of aligned apertures extending at least partially from one of said surfaces to the other of said sur faces and a plurality of spaced grooves formed in one of said sidewalls, said apertures and grooves being spaced and formed to mate with the prongs of a silver fork; and other portions of said piece of felt material being designed for cleaning other silver articles; silver polish impregnated in said felt material adjacent said grooves and said apertures for cleaning said prongs as said prongs mate with said respective grooves or apertures.

3. A pad for cleaning silver articles comprising: a multi-sided generally flat piece of felt material defining a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of integral sidewalls encircling said piece of material and interconnecting said top surface and said bottom surface; a plurality of aligned apertures defined by said piece of felt material and extending at least partially from one of said surfaces to the other of said surfaces; a plurality of spaced grooves defined by said fiat piece of felt material and formed in one of said sidewalls, said apertures and grooves being so shaped and formed to mate with the tines of a silver fork for cleaning of same; said fiat piece of felt material having corner sections between adjacent sidewalls designed to mate with the contour of a silver spoon.

4. A pad for cleaning silver articles comprising: a multi-sided generally flat piece of felt material defining a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of integral sidewalls encircling said piece of material and interconnecting said top surface and said bottom surface; a plurality of aligned apertures defined by said piece of felt material and extending at least partially from one of said surfaces to the other of said surfaces; a plurality of spaced grooves defined by said fiat piece of felt material and formed in one of said sidewalls, said apertures and grooves being so shaped and formed to mate with the tines of a silver fork for cleaning of same; said fiat piece of felt material having corner sections between adjacent sidewalls designed to mate with the contour of a silver spoon; and silver polish impregnated in said felt material adjacent said grooves "and said apertures for cleaning of said tines of said silver fork.

5. A pad for cleaning silver articles, according to claim 4', in which said corner sections are also impregnated with silver cleaning material.

6. A pad for cleaning various sizes of silver forks, silver spoons, and similar articles, said pad comprising: a multi-sided, generally flat piece of felt material defining a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of integral sidewalls encircling said fiat piece of material and interconnecting said bottom surface and said top surface; a plurality of aligned apertures extending at least partially from one of said surfaces to the other of said surfaces and defined by said piece of felt material; a first plurality of spaced grooves defined by said fiat piece of felt material and formed in one of said sidewalls; a second plurality of spaced grooves formed in another of said sidewalls; said apertures andgrooves being formed to mate with the tines of different silver forks.

7. A pad for cleaning various sizes of silver forks, silver spoons, and similar articles, said pad comprising: a multi-sided, genuerally flat piece of felt material defining a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of integral sidewalls encircling said flat piece of material and interconnecting said bottom surface and said top surface; a plurality of aligned apertures extending at least partially from one of said surfaces to the other of said surfaces and defined by said piece of felt material; a first plurality of spaced grooves defined by said fiat piece of felt material and formed in one of said sidewalls; a second plurality of spaced grooves formed in another of said sidewalls; said apertures and grooves being formed to mate with the tines of different silver forks; and silver polish impregnated in said felt material adjacent said grooves and said apertures.

8. A pad for cleaning silver forks and spoons, according to claim 7, and corner sections of said pad formed to mate with the contour of silver spoons for cleaning of same; and silver polish impregnated in said corner sections.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,386,900 10/1945 Kingman 51-204 2,841,811 7/1958 Carroll 15210X CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. 

2. A PAD FOR CLEANING HOUSEHOLD SILVER ARTICLES COMPRISING: A GENERALLY FLAT PIECE OF FELT MATERIAL DEFINING A TOP SURFACE, A BOTTOM SURFACE AND SIDEWALLS ENCIRCLING SAID PIECE OF FELT MATERIAL BETWEEN SAID TOP SURFACE AND BOTTOM SURFACE; SAID FLAT PIECE OF FELT MATERIAL DEFINING A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED APERTURES EXTENDING AT LEAST PARTIALLY FROM ONE OF SAID SURFACES TO THE OTHER OF SAID SURFACES AND A PLURALITY OF SPACED GROOVES FORMED IN ONE OF SAID SIDEWALLS, SAID APERTURES AND GROOVES BEING SPACED AND FORMED TO MATE WITH THE PRONGS OF A SILVER FORK; AND OTHER PORTIONS OF SAID PIECE OF FELT MATERIAL BEING DESIGNED 